Diamond Springs Hotel restaurant just like home

Amid the hustle and bustle of breakfast on a Sunday morning at the Diamond Springs Hotel, it can be easy to forget the vast history behind this longstanding establishment. Built in 1916 by Antone Meyer, the Diamond Springs Hotel is the lone survivor of many boarding houses and hotels established in Diamond Springs during the Gold Rush. In its almost 100 years, the hotel has served as a resting place for miners, a popular dining spot for locals and even, some say, a hang out place for ghosts.

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Amid the hustle and bustle of breakfast on a Sunday morning at the Diamond Springs Hotel, it can be easy to forget the vast history behind this longstanding establishment. Built in 1916 by Antone Meyer, the Diamond Springs Hotel is the lone survivor of many boarding houses and hotels established in Diamond Springs during the Gold Rush. In its almost 100 years, the hotel has served as a resting place for miners, a popular dining spot for locals and even, some say, a hang out place for ghosts.

Amy and Moon Shim purchased the hotel from Dan Dammett in 2004. Amy says when she and her husband purchased the hotel, no one said anything about the ghosts. “I was reading an article about ghosts, and suddenly I realized they were talking about this hotel,” said Amy. “It didn’t matter, but still it would have been nice if someone had said something.”

Over the past few years, there have been a few instances, such as the sound of footsteps vacant rooms upstairs, where the possibility of ghosts has seemed real, but for the most part the hotel and its visitors take little notice. Today the hotel has no boarders but serves only as a restaurant where longtime resident chefs whip up homemade country cooking that many people say is “to die for.” The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is known for serving huge portions of everyone’s favorite foods.

“Some of our most popular items are fried chicken, chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, and, at breakfast, our omelettes and pancakes,” said Amy. “Everything is made from scratch by order. Nothing is premade, and all of our produce and ingredients are fresh and bought locally whenever possible.”

The restaurant is a particularly enjoyable to visit when the weather is nice and customers can eat on the patio outdoors, but during the winter months it is cozy inside. Many regulars love to visit all year round. “We have a lot of people who come almost every day, or at least two or three times a week,” said Amy. “It’s fun because you really get to know people.”

It is this emphasis on customer relations, in fact, that has contributed to the fact that the Diamond Springs Hotel is still up and running after all these years. Many of the servers and the two top chefs have been at the restaurant for many years, and it is this continuity that has enabled the restaurant to continue serving consistent, great-tasting food and to come to see its customers not as customers, but as friends.

“I really enjoy meeting people,” said Amy. “When you come to the hotel, it’s like you’re going home, and we strive to make it feel like home for our customers. My husband and I are here every day and love talking with customers. Our customers are part of our family.”

The Diamond Springs Hotel is located at 545 Pleasant Valley Road and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, please visit our Website at diamondspringshotel.comcastbiz.net or call 530-621-1730.